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Legal Associate Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Legal Counsel

Kansas City, MO · On-site

$99K - $214K/yr

UMB's Corporate Legal department serves many lines of business throughout our footprint by ... We provide the training and support to encourage success in our associate's career. We also ...

Legal Support Associate

Northbrook, IL · On-site

$71K - $90K/yr

The Paralegal will assist the in-house attorneys in the Legal Department in day-to-day business matters concerning, but not limited to, bankruptcy, loan documentation, internal/external client ...

Legal Counsel

Kansas City, MO · On-site

$99K - $214K/yr

The Legal Counsel at UMB, works hand in hand with line of business leaders and stakeholders to ... In order forus to support that, we strive to make our associates well rounded and encourage ...

Family Law Associate

Seattle, WA · Hybrid

$120K - $160K/yr

Our client has been providing top-tier legal services to individuals, families, businesses, and ... Legal Associate Responsibilities: * Manage all phases of family law cases from intake through to ...

Legal Personnel

New York, NY · On-site

$30 - $35/hr

... legal recruiting programs. * Supports with the full lifecycle of candidates' applications ... Identifies and secure associates to interview candidates, participate in outreach events, meet with ...

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Legal Associate information

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$8

$29

$60

How much do legal associate jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 6, 2026, the average hourly pay for legal associate in the United States is $29.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $19.23 and $33.65 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are Legal Associates?

Legal Associates are early-career lawyers who support more senior attorneys in a law firm or legal department. They conduct legal research, draft documents, assist with case preparation, and may represent clients under supervision. Legal Associates are typically recent law school graduates who have passed the bar exam, and their role is designed to provide hands-on experience while allowing them to develop their legal skills. Over time, Legal Associates may work toward becoming partners or taking on more senior legal positions within their organization.

What is a legal associate?

A legal associate is a junior attorney or lawyer who supports senior lawyers by conducting research, drafting documents, and preparing cases. They typically work in law firms or corporate legal departments and need a law degree and bar admission to practice. The role often involves analyzing legal issues and assisting with client consultations.

What is the lowest position in a law firm?

The lowest position in a law firm is typically a legal assistant or legal secretary, who provides administrative support to attorneys. Entry-level roles often require basic legal knowledge, strong organizational skills, and familiarity with legal software. These positions serve as a foundation for advancing to higher roles such as paralegal or associate.

What are some typical challenges Legal Associates face during their first year at a law firm?

Legal Associates often encounter challenges such as managing a high volume of work under tight deadlines, adapting to the expectations of different partners, and learning to balance administrative tasks with substantive legal research and drafting. Navigating firm culture and building relationships with senior attorneys and clients can also be demanding. However, these challenges provide valuable learning opportunities and help associates develop strong time management, communication, and legal analysis skills crucial for career growth.

What Is a Legal Associate?

A legal associate is a practicing junior attorney at a law firm who works on cases for clients, conducts legal research, and provides legal advice to clients. Other job duties include developing and implementing litigation strategies, supervising legal assistants and paralegals, and representing clients in court. The qualifications you need for a career as a legal associate include a bachelor’s degree and then a law degree from an accredited law school, a license to practice law through your state’s bar association, at least one year of experience working in a law firm, and excellent communication and collaborative skills.

What can you do with an associate degree in law?

A legal associate degree prepares individuals for entry-level roles such as legal assistant, paralegal, or legal secretary. These positions involve supporting attorneys, conducting research, and managing case files, often requiring knowledge of legal software and procedures.

Is $900 an hour a lot for a lawyer?

For a legal associate, earning $900 an hour is considered very high and typically reflects senior-level experience, specialized expertise, or work in high-demand areas such as corporate law or litigation. Most legal associates earn significantly less, with hourly rates often ranging from $100 to $300 depending on location and firm size. Such rates are more common for partners or highly specialized attorneys rather than entry-level associates.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Legal Associate, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Legal Associate, you need a law degree (JD or equivalent), strong research and analytical skills, and attention to detail. Familiarity with legal research databases such as Westlaw or LexisNexis, document management systems, and proficiency in drafting legal documents are essential. Excellent written and verbal communication, time management, and the ability to work collaboratively set standout candidates apart. These skills ensure effective legal analysis, high-quality client service, and successful case outcomes in a demanding legal environment.

What is the difference between Legal Associate vs Paralegal?

AspectLegal AssociateParalegal
Required CredentialsJuris Doctor (JD), bar admission often preferredAssociate's degree or paralegal certification
Work EnvironmentLaw firms, corporate legal departments, government agenciesLaw firms, legal departments, courts, corporate offices
Job ResponsibilitiesLegal research, drafting documents, client interaction, assisting attorneysLegal research, document preparation, case organization, support tasks

Legal Associates typically hold a JD and are licensed to practice law, performing more advanced legal tasks. Paralegals assist attorneys with research and administrative duties but do not require a law degree or license. Both roles work in similar environments, but Legal Associates have a broader scope of responsibilities and legal authority.

What cities are hiring for Legal Associate jobs? Cities with the most Legal Associate job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Legal jobs? The most popular types of Legal jobs are:
What states have the most Legal Associate jobs? States with the most job openings for Legal Associate jobs include:
Infographic showing various Legal Associate job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $60,327 per year, or $29 per hour.
Associate, Legal Knowledge Engineering

Associate, Legal Knowledge Engineering

Litera

Austin, TX

Other

Medical, Retirement, PTO

Posted 7 days ago


Job description

Job Description

Ready to Help Shape the Future of Legal Tech?!

AtLitera, we don't just build software, we transform how the world's top law firms operate. Every day, we RaiseTheBar for what's possible through AI, innovation, and solutions that power millions of legal professionals worldwide. If you're energized by scale, real impact, and meaningful challenges, you'll feel right at home here.

Where You'll Work

This position can be based in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia, Raleigh or Toronto and candidates should reside within reasonable commuting distance, as this role requires on-site presence at least three days per week. This hybrid approach enables us to build a collaborative and innovative work environment while maintaining the flexibility that supports both productivity and work-life balance. We are actively seeking talented individuals to join our team in this exciting new phase of growth.

Overview: As an Associate, Legal Engineering at Litera, you will be part of a dynamic team that is passionate about driving innovation in the legal technology space. You will have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge tools and collaborate with industry experts to deliver solutions that make a real difference in the legal profession.

Are you a talented, experienced lawyer looking to use the knowledge you've gained in your field in a new way? Do you love the intellectual challenge of understanding complicated agreements, but feel like you are ready to take your career in a new direction and have more control over your time? Do you want to contribute to a product in a meaningful way to improve the lives of lawyers? Do you feel the buzz of AI and generative AI and want to get involved?

Litera is looking for a lawyer to help build our legal products. Who better to know how to influence the direction of our legal products than a lawyer. As part of this, you will also get to experiment with generative AI technology. In addition, Litera needs a lawyer to help work with our engineering teams to advise on legal workflows. In this role, you will have the opportunity to be part of a cutting edge industry and a company that is making a tremendous impact in your field. You will help us build positive experiences for our clients, which include some of the world's best law firms, professional service firms, and corporations. This is an environment where your contribution and expertise will be supported, acknowledged, and rewarded.

Your day-to-day

As a Legal Knowledge Engineering Associate, you will be responsible for working on one or more of our legal software products. As part of this, you will be our legal tech products to find the information our clients seek in their documents. You will be experimenting with prompting an LLM from within our product and/or teaching our product,Kira, by highlighting information in diverse sets of documents. Kira studies the examples, uses machine learning algorithms to figure out patterns, and then finds similar information in new documents. In addition, you will be working with our product/engineering/design teams to help ensure that new features are defined and brought to completion with proper legal workflows in mind.

What You'll Be Doing

Working with our product/engineering/design teams to help set the vision for new legal tech products and features within Kira and the rest of Litera.

Experimenting and testing Generative AI to ensure our products are built the best they can be.

Develop new "smart fields" (machine learning algorithms that can find information) and data points for documents relating to securities and/or financing transactions.

Maintain a thorough understanding of developments in your legal domain, and continuously identify new opportunities to build smart fields.

Identify opportunities to improve processes, gain efficiencies, and share best practices.

What You Bring

  • You have two or more years practicing in transactional law, ideally gained at a law firm, in house, or at a legal service provider.

  • Experience working in debt financing is an asset

  • Have a JD and have been called to the bar in at least one state/province.

  • Experience with legal operations, legal program management, and/or contract management systems is an asset.

  • Strong Interest in legal technology and artificial intelligence.

  • You have strong client service skills and excellent written and verbal communication skills.

  • You have the ability to learn new technologies quickly and are not intimidated by trying something new.

  • You have extraordinary attention to detail and are highly organized.

  • You are relentless and a creative problem solver, and your analytical skills are exceptional.

  • You have strong time management skills and can successfully juggle multiple priorities.

  • You are highly responsible, self-motivated and able to work with minimal supervision.

  • You empathize with people. Your first instinct when asked for something is to try to find a way to say yes.

What Sets Us Apart? Work with a team that has a proven track record. Our company's growth will challenge and encourage you to broaden your skills. Generous allocation of paid time off, and flexible work hours. Available merit-based cash bonus plan. Comprehensive medical coverage and Employee Assistance Program Many opportunities for rewards and recognition

The salary range for this position is $95,000 to $120,000 in the United States. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, Litera offers benefits such as a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements).#LI-HybridSalary Range (Ontario Applicants):
This position has a base salary range of $100,000 to $135,000 CAD, with additional eligibility for a discretionary annual bonus and benefits. The final offer will depend on experience, qualifications, and internal equity.Litera is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.Vacancy Status Disclosure: This job posting is for an existing job vacancy.Litera may use artificial intelligence and automated tools as part of the recruitment and hiring process to support activities such as resume review, candidate matching, and workflow efficiency. These tools are designed to assist, not replace, human decision-making. All hiring decisions are ultimately made by qualified Litera professionals.

Litera is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.